


the sweater

by aerynlallaboso



Category: Naruto
Genre: (metaphorically), Gen, rip yamato
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-18
Updated: 2014-08-18
Packaged: 2018-02-13 16:04:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2156727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aerynlallaboso/pseuds/aerynlallaboso
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I’m sorry,” he says finally. “But this is the most awful piece of clothing I’ve ever seen.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	the sweater

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted 14/8/14 @ tumblr for the naruto summer xmas meme (the prompt was 'terrible christmas sweater', if it's not obvious)

"Look at it," Sakura says in despair, holding the sweater up so Naruto can see the full extent of its thoroughly tasteless design. "I can’t wear this. I - I won’t wear this."

Naruto winces. “Maybe… you could say you lost it or something.”

She sighs; the sweater droops a little, squishing the face of the small Santa adorning one shoulder into a horrible misshapen grin. “No way. My mom would get really, really mad at me. And it’s from my grandma, I don’t want to disappoint her.” Another sigh. “I guess I’m stuck with it. Unless you have any other ideas, Naruto.”

He scratches the back of his head. “Umm, what if you say someone else borrowed it for the night? Because it’s really cool?”

"That might work," Sakura says. She rolls the sweater up under her arm and purses her lips, thinking. "But - who would want to borrow this thing?"

~ ~

Sai stares at the gaudy red sweater; looks back at Sakura and Naruto’s hopeful expressions. “This is… a Christmas tradition?” he says, puzzled.

"Yep," Sakura says, smiling and nodding her head vigorously.

"But you don’t have to wear it if you really don’t wa-" Naruto says, yelping when Sakura elbows him halfway through his sentence.

Their teammate looks at the sweater again. “I’m sorry,” he says finally. “But this is the most awful piece of clothing I’ve ever seen.”

The life drains from their eyes. “I know,” Sakura sighs.

~ ~

"Please, Ino? for me?" Sakura begs. She’s pulling the stitching on the sweater’s shoulders a bit too hard, and it’s fraying. Like her nerves.

"Or for me?" Sai adds, fluttering his eyelashes like Sakura demonstrated to him on the way here. It almost looks like it’s working, too - Ino’s uncrossing her arms and opening her mouth to say something, pleeeease let it be-

"Or for me?" Naruto says. He flutters his eyelashes a bit too. Ino’s mouth snaps closed. Darn.

"I hate you," Sakura mumbles as she hauls both of them away before Ino has a chance to finish her resoundingly negative response.

~ ~

"Kakashi-sensei, oh Kakashi-SENSEIIIIIII-"

The room is completely empty. “Perhaps someone told him we were coming?” Sai suggests.

Sakura sighs, yet again. “Okay, next person.”

~ ~

"I don’t think it’ll fit," Yamato says dubiously. He puts down his pen to peer closer at the sweater. "I really don’t think it’ll fit."

"Uhhm… you don’t know until you try?" Sakura hazards. She thrusts it towards him, trying to conceal the desperation in her smile. "C’mon, Captain Yamato, you’re our last hope."

Naruto clasps his hands together and puts on his best ‘poor ramen-less child’ expression. “Yeah, Captain Yamato, you’re our only hope.”

Yamato looks between the three of them, with their pitiful eyes and the horrible, tacky sweater dangling from Sakura’s hands, and wonders what he did today to deserve this. “… Give it here.”

It fits. Just.

"You look great," Sakura says, trying not to meet his eyes. In all honesty, his frame does show off the hellishly festive pattern better than hers would. “You’re really a life-saver, Captain Yamato.”

She suspects Naruto and Sai’s disappearance might have something to do with the faint laughter she can hear from outside.

"No problem," Yamato says. He looks so tired. "Just… don’t tell Kakashi about this, okay?"

Sakura nods guiltily. “Um. Merry Christmas.”

This time, it's Yamato sighing.


End file.
